Clarksville estranged husband accused in wife's stabbing death pleads not guilty: Takeaways

A Clarksville man accused of killing his estranged wife and harming himself in October 2018 was seen in a Montgomery County courtroom Monday as trial proceedings got underway in his case.

Hamid Houbbadi pleaded not guilty to first degree murder, first degree murder in perpetration of a crime and aggravated burglary in connection with the Oct. 20th stabbing death of 41-year-old Leila Chanane.

Here's three takeaways from day one of the Houbbadi trial.

Blood pressure meds saved Houbbadi

A fight between Houbbadi and Chanane happened inside a Bellamy Lane home and Chanane suffered, "multiple lacerations and incisions throughout her body," according to prior reports.

She was found dead in a next door neighbor's driveway around 5:06 a.m.

Houbbadi was found face down inside the home with apparent self-inflicted wounds, including several slits to the wrist and neck, officials said.

“He tried to end his life and failed," District Attorney General Robert Nash told a Montgomery County jury during opening statements.

Chanane had two stab wounds to her chest and seven stab wounds to her back, Nash said.

Houbbadi had an order of protection filed against him prior to the incident. He was not supposed to be at the Bellamy Lane home that night.

There was blood on the front porch and throughout the home.

Before the incident, Houbbadi drove to the Walmart on Fort Campbell Boulevard to pick up blood pressure medicine and called an Uber to the Bellamy Lane house, Nash told the jurors.

"The blood pressure medicine slowed his heart rate down so he didn't die," Nash said. He also mentioned that when police arrived, the power was off, suggesting that the act was premediated.

"You have to decide ... if he did that or not," Houbbadi's defense attorney Chase Smith told the jury. There were no signs of forced entry, it was mentioned in court.

Neighbor describes crime scene

Next door neighbor Jaymes Dewitte told the jury he first thought Chanane's body was a mannequin that had been staged in his driveway as a Halloween prank.

He testified Monday that he tried and failed to get a response when he realized the body was real, ran back inside his home and called 911.

Dewitte and his wife did not have company that day, nor did the two leave their home the night before, he testified.

Knife and razor blade found

Clarksville Police Department Sgt. Adam Post told the jury that after he arrived at the Bellamy Lane home, he checked the front and back storm doors and found them locked.

On the back side of the house, he found a lunch box, razor blade and towel, Post said.

He was later notified by another officer that a door was open.

"As we got closer, we noticed a body was (lying) in the doorway," Post said.

It was Houbbadi. Emergency medical services responded to the scene and took him to a local hospital for treatment.

Inside the house, a blood-stained kitchen knife was found on a living room couch.

Jurors were shown several crime scene photos taken from inside the house. There was blood in the living room, bathroom and hallway area.

The Houbbadi trial is scheduled to resume Tuesday morning.

Alexis Clark can be reached at aclark@gannett.com or 931-217-8519.

This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Hamid Houbbadi trial: Pleads not guilty to murder of Clarksville wife